"Alaric?" Kael was puzzled. The Snow Bear Beast seemed to recognize the Unicorn Rhinoceros, Alaric, which left him confused.
"Yes, Alaric, the Unicorn Rhinoceros—a member of the royal lineage among his kind. He might even inherit the title of Unicorn Rhinoceros King. I never expected to run into him here, let alone in this state…" the Snow Bear Beast murmured.
"A royal Unicorn Rhinoceros? Potentially the future king?" Kael hadn't imagined this creature would have such a prestigious background.
"Indeed. The Unicorn Rhinoceros herd is one of the most powerful forces in this ancient relic. With hundreds of members, they're practically the overlords of this place. Every single Unicorn Rhinoceros possesses at least Level 8 strength," the Snow Bear Beast explained.
Level 8 strength! And an entire herd of hundreds!
Kael was inwardly stunned. The sheer might of the Unicorn Rhinoceros faction far exceeded his expectations. His eyes flickered as if he were already hatching some scheme.
"That's right! I, Alaric the Unicorn Rhinoceros, the blessed one of the great God of Light! Give me something to eat! Anything!" The Unicorn Rhinoceros flopped onto the ground, rolling around while shouting.
Kael was speechless, thinking to himself, This is no noble magical beast—it's practically a pet dog!
Alaric continued rolling on the ground, his large, watery eyes gleaming with innocence, as if pleading, Feed me, or I'll starve to death! His expression was so ingratiating that Kael found it harder and harder to associate him with the dignity of a high-tier magical beast.
"This is the royal lineage of the Unicorn Rhinoceroses?" Kael pinched the Snow Bear Beast's ear, his face full of disbelief. Were all the magical beasts in this ancient relic this… unique?
"Uh… I'm not sure either. But I've heard that Alaric isn't just royalty—he's also the most talented among the Unicorn Rhinoceroses. Though he's been missing from the herd for a long time. I never thought we'd find him here," the Snow Bear Beast said.
"Exactly! I, the great Alaric, am the blessed one of the God of Light! The most talented of all Unicorn Rhinoceroses!" Alaric declared proudly, still rolling on the ground. Like humans, magical beasts varied in innate talent, and those with exceptional gifts could rise to become kings of their kind.
No sooner had the Unicorn Rhinoceros finished speaking than it flopped back down, its ears drooping. "But that was all in the past. Last time, I got too greedy and wandered into some ruins, ate something bad, and ended up with all my powers sealed. Now I'm left with nothing but brute strength."
"Ate something bad?" Kael was stunned. This Unicorn Rhinoceros was truly a glutton through and through. Whatever it had consumed must have been some kind of spirit herb to seal its powers.
Instantly, Kael recalled several spirit herbs known for their power-sealing properties.
"With my strength gone, I couldn't face going back to the herd. Hmph!" The Unicorn Rhinoceros grumbled, explaining why it was holed up alone in this cave. Then, with a light snort, it added, "Whatever. Talking so much has made me hungry again. You really don't have any food? Give me something to eat!" Its eyes shimmered with anticipation.
This Unicorn Rhinoceros wasn't just a glutton—it was also completely scatterbrained! It had carelessly revealed such crucial information about its sealed powers, handing Kael a perfect advantage.
"Kael, this is our chance!" While the Unicorn Rhinoceros was rolling around, the Snow Bear Beast suddenly leaned in and whispered mysteriously.
"Chance? What chance?"
The Snow Bear Beast grinned mischievously. "Aren't you worried about those damned guys—Leif and his undead?"
"Of course. What about them?" Kael was puzzled. How did this relate to the undead?
"Unicorn Rhinoceroses are born with the Light attribute, masters of holy magic, and natural enemies of the undead! And this one, Alaric, was originally royalty among them. If you can win him over, he might just help you deal with Leif!"
Kael paused, considering the possibility.
If what the Snow Bear Beast said was true—that Unicorn Rhinoceroses were inherently Light-aligned and natural counters to the undead—then this could be a game-changer. Right now, Kael's greatest threat was Leif, who sought to turn the entire ancient relic into a playground for the undead. Kael couldn't let that happen.
Pull this Unicorn Rhinoceros to his side!
Kael made his decision instantly.
"Good. You've done well!" Kael nodded approvingly, praising the Snow Bear Beast.
"Hehe." The Snow Bear Beast hopped around excitedly.
"Unicorn Rhinoceros, I can give you food." Since this creature was now just a brute with sealed powers, Kael had nothing to fear. His expression shifted into a friendly smile.
"Really? I want food!" The Unicorn Rhinoceros immediately perked up, scrambling to Kael's feet. Its tail wagged wildly—it might as well have been a lapdog.
"Absolutely! I'll give you food!" Having decided to recruit the beast, Kael knew he had to offer something.
Without delay, he retrieved the last bit of magical beast meat from his spatial ring.
"Meat! It's meat!" The Unicorn Rhinoceros immediately began drooling, as if it hadn't seen meat in centuries. Thick strands of saliva dripped from its massive jaws, making Kael stifle a laugh.
Truth be told, the Unicorn Rhinoceros had gone quite a while without meat. Though its brute strength remained after being sealed, the creature was simply too lazy to hunt, leaving it perpetually hungry.
Now, at the sight of a single piece of meat, its eyes practically sparkled with excitement.
Kael smiled silently. The more gluttonous the Unicorn Rhinoceros was, the easier it would be to reel in.
With a casual flick of his hand, Kael conjured a fire and began roasting the meat. The rich aroma filled the air, the golden-brown surface glistening temptingly—enough to make even the Snow Bear Beast drool uncontrollably.
To be fair, Kael's grilling skills had once earned praise from Amelia. They were absolutely top-tier.
Just the scent alone was enough to make the Unicorn Rhinoceros's mouth water endlessly.
"Alright, dig in." Kael handed over large chunks of the roasted meat.
The Unicorn Rhinoceros eagerly leaned in, tearing off a huge bite. Instantly, its mouth was flooded with savory richness—pure, delicious bliss.
"Delicious! So delicious! This is the best food I've ever eaten in my entire life!" The Unicorn Rhinoceros rolled around in excitement between bites. "Too good! Do you know how hard it is for me to find food this amazing? How am I supposed to eat anything else after this?!"
Kael grinned in satisfaction.
The fish had taken the bait.
This Unicorn Rhinoceros was truly the ultimate glutton—Kael had no doubt it would take the bait!
Having tasted the meat, the Unicorn Rhinoceros's opinion of Kael skyrocketed. "Human, you're amazing! How can you make meat this delicious? What's your name? I, the great Lord Alaric, wish to befriend you!" Still savoring the aftertaste, it eagerly inquired.
"I'm Kael."
"You humans are incredible… to create such delicious food…" The longing in the Unicorn Rhinoceros's eyes was unmistakable.
Kael understood its unspoken desire—this glutton clearly wanted more. He shrugged. "It's all gone. You ate every last bit."
"Oh." The Unicorn Rhinoceros's head drooped instantly, its enthusiasm deflated.
"However, esteemed Unicorn Rhinoceros, there is another way I might assist you." Kael smiled.
"Another way?" The creature blinked in confusion, its large eyes fixed on Kael.
"Indeed. Not only can I prepare delicious food, but I'm also an alchemist. It's possible I could undo the seal on your powers."
"You… you can break my seal?!" The Unicorn Rhinoceros's voice cracked with excitement.
"Correct. Your condition was likely caused by accidentally ingesting a certain spirit herb. If I can brew the right antidote, your seal will be lifted, and your strength restored."
"Really?!" For the Unicorn Rhinoceros, this was an unimaginable stroke of luck. If the seal were broken, it would regain its former might—reclaiming its place as a leader among its kind!